Cambodia’s environment minister said his country’s green growth plan is making fine progress in its implementation thanks to the help of Korea and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

Minister Mok Mareth said activities with GGGI “strengthened environmental cooperation while pursuing sustainable economic growth, not only in Cambodia but also on a regional and a global scale to result in green growth through the exchange of ideas and experiences.”He was in Seoul on Monday and Tuesday to participate in the Global Green Growth Summit, hosted by the government and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to celebrate the first year of the institute.

Cambodia is a developing economy in transition. A changing weather pattern and its consequences demands a transformation in the way people live and the way people make a living. A weak domestic economic condition, however, leaves the government very little capacity to take a substantial action.

Their situation is where the institute could make a difference. The institute’s mission is to “assist developing countries with action-oriented policy options and institutions tailored to their respective economic circumstances and constraints.”

The institute is also carrying out projects with Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia, UAE and Kazakhstan.

Two years ago, Cambodia revealed the National Green Growth Roadmap. The roadmap was funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency, which chose Cambodia as its green official development aid (ODA) partner.

The plan included a range of programs, from short- and medium-term to long-term plans to develop its economy in a sustainable way.

One is the establishment of the National Green Growth Committee, for which GGGI is currently working to lay the foundation.

It also plans to wage campaigns to raise public awareness of green growth, and to achieve sustainability in water, agriculture, forest and energy, waste management and transportation.

The institute and the Cambodian government signed a memorandum of understanding to work together in March.

GGGI was established in June last year. In May this year, governments of Korea and Denmark forged the Green Growth Alliance, and GGGI opened its office in Copenhagen.